Keeping the Spirit Alive
by MajesticTragesty
Summary: With Merlin visiting his mother in Ealdor, the young King finds that not having his usual servant around is boring. But when Gwaine returns from visiting a certain village bearing bad news, Arthur realises he might never get to see or hear Merlin again
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.** Heeeey this is my first time ever writing a fic and I got confused. Anyway, there will be _slight_ romance in this, but as it's not one of the main themes, I decided to make the genres different.

I'm brand new to this and so confused.

I also forgot how Gwaine acts. Whoops.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it C:

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, nothing had happened in Camelot for a good week or so, and things were getting duller and duller for the young King. What didn't help was that, usually, his manservant would talk aimlessly while carrying out the many chores that had been set for him. For the past week, though, there had been no talking, no back-chat, no "you're a prat" or "you're an idiot." Why? Because the boy was in Ealdor, visiting his mother as he was worrying about her health. When Arthur had heard his servant's reason for needing to leave for a week, maybe a bit longer, he couldn't exactly say "no" to him. He knew what it was like to lose a parent - no, both parents - and he knew how much it would've hurt young Merlin if the worst were to happen to her. And with that, Merlin had thanked him and set out to Ealdor.<p>

But the King was growing tired. It was somewhat more eventful and amusing with Merlin around, and now that he was gone, the only company he had were his knights and the boy who was temporarily taking his place. Merlin's chatter was one thing. At least he could handle that. This boy's chattering? Not only did it fail to amuse Arthur, but it irritated him to the point he just wanted to fire the kid. Not that he would, though - the boy was younger than Merlin, and it was only temporary, anyway.

"Mother said that I shouldn't do anything that might upset Father because he's getting stressed out and ..." the temporary servant rambled on and on until Arthur couldn't take any more. All Arthur had asked him to do was to tell him the time. He was fairly certain that he asked that question about thirty minutes ago, and yet he still had no reply. He walked over to the window, trying to focus on other things that were happening. As he expected, nothing was. The people of Camelot were going about their daily business. Arthur tapped his foot impatiently, allowing a quiet sigh to leave his lips, although it obviously wasn't as quiet as he thought it was. The serving boy heard it and turned to face his King.

"Sire? You seem troubled." The brunette began to point out the obvious. He'd been doing that a lot since he took over Merlin's job. _It's only temporary, _Arthur kept telling himself. He glanced in the boy's direction, and as if it was too much for him to handle, the servant shifted and looked down at the floor, obviously embarrassed to have his King watching him. Arthur shook his head.

"Not quite. Just..." he paused and looked back at the window. His knights were returning. He'd sent them out to make sure the smaller villages were okay, and to be on the safe side he sent them out in groups of three. "You're dismissed from your duties today... " he continued, only to realise he didn't even know the boy's name. Silence lingered in the room until the boy realised he had to give his name.

"Durward, Sire." The boy replied sheepishly. He didn't raise his head. Instead he fiddled with a button on his shirt that was coming loose. He'd probably ask his mother to sew it back up for him when he returned home. _He needs new attire in general by the looks of it,_ Arthur noticed; Durward's clothing wasn't really... well looked after. His maroon-colored tunic, although it looked brand new, already had holes in it, and there was a huge tear at the neck where the button had been (the boy fiddled with it so much in three seconds that when he was being forceful, it actually ripped the rest of the fabric). His pants were a dark green – slightly darker than the Phthalo green, though it looked roughly the same – but there were brown spots all over them from where he'd been near the muddy areas (or possibly from mucking out the horses, but Arthur was hoping it was the former), and his boots… Arthur frowned. Was he wearing _odd boots?_ He was pretty certain he was, in fact, wearing two completely different boots, neither of which were even slightly the same shade of brown, and while one was just a plain old boot, the other had a dirty lace that hadn't been tied up hanging down from the top of it. _At least Merlin's clothes are decent enough and he had slight fashion sense_, which, now that Arthur was thinking about it, was actually slightly true. Merlin tended to alternate between his usual red and blue combination – his neckerchief being red, his shirt being blue, or his shirt being red and his neckerchief being blue, or maybe both red or both blue… well, he definitely knew how to dress himself better than Durward did. The young King paused. Surely he didn't just compliment the servant who was completely useless to him. Except he did. _Damn._ He put his hand to his forehead and continued to look out the window. _It's a good thing I didn't say that out loud._

As it turned out, his knights weren't returning at all. Only a single horse stormed through the gates to the kingdom. No one followed. This worried Arthur. He thought they would've returned in their groups. To see a single knight return without the rest of his group didn't seem to be a good thing and although Arthur couldn't see every detail, judging by the look on the knight's face as he got off the horse, it was worse than he thought it would be. What made it worse was that the knight who had returned was one the knights he'd originally sent to check on Ealdor: Sir Gwaine. He wasn't laughing or making a fool of himself – the look of despair and determination was plastered all over his face.

Which meant something had happened in Ealdor. Something big. Something Arthur would probably have to deal with himself.

Arthur had completely forgotten that there was someone else in the room, and only remembered when he heard metal hitting the floor. The King spun quickly to see what was happening, fearing that someone had intruded on him, only to realise it was Durward dropping a plate. With a frustrated huff, Arthur continued where he left off:

"Durward, you are dismissed for today. I have something I must attend to." He casually slipped his jacket on, looking calm and collected despite being far from it. The boy bowed his head again, set the plate back on the drawer and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him on the way out. There really was no point in the door being closed, though, since it was forced open again within a matter of minutes by the knight who had urgent news that Arthur would probably dislike.

The news was far worse than he feared.

"Sire, there's been an incident in Ealdor, and I'm pretty sure you won't like it." He sounded breathless. Odds are, he ran a bit too quickly up those steps to reach Arthur. His face was still dead serious. Arthur didn't think Gwaine would be the type of man who cried, but looking closer, it was almost as if he was going to. But the tears were obviously being held back, and pretty well, too.

"I had a feeling that was the case. Where are Sirs Percival and Elyan? I thought you set out with them." Arthur questioned. There'd better have been a good reason why Sir Gwaine had traveled alone. Or a good reason that would turn out bad.

"They're still in Ealdor, looking after Merlin's mother and guarding the village," was the answer he got, and it was said a bit too quickly for his liking. It just added to his worry. Hunith? Why would they need to look after her if Merlin was already there with her? As if reading his mind, Gwaine carried on speaking:

"Sire, it's… it's Merlin. _That's_ why they're looking after her. You need to send more knights or send a few guards to Ealdor." He suggested. There was a slight pause. "Sorry, Sire, I mean –"

"What's happened to Merlin?"

Another pause. The silence was awkward between them and filled every inch of the room. It didn't look like Gwaine wanted to say anything else on the matter.

"Sir Gwaine, you will tell me what's happened. Please. _What's happened to Merlin?_" the King continued tapping his foot as he did earlier, only at a faster pace.

"He's… He's dead, sire."


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. T**his one's shorter because I didn't really think it through.

I forgot to say it in my first chapter, but I don't own Merlin.

I've had two people read through this and pick out mistakes - I'm grateful ; u; If there are any more, I apologise in advance.

Thanks!

* * *

><p><em>Pendragon.<em>

Arthur stood there for a few seconds, taking in what Gwaine had just announced. And then he laughed. Gwaine's expression stayed the same.

"Gwaine, that's a bad joke, even for you. Now, seriously, what's happened?"

Gwaine averted his eyes momentarily, then glanced back at his King. He wasn't joking. Gwaine was the joker of the knights, yeah, but the look on his face made it obvious that this was no laughing matter. Arthur ceased laughing and stared at his knight. His heart felt like a ship sailing on a sea of emotions he had no control over. Rage, hatred, despair, loss – everything crashed against his heart, determined to make it capsize. But he held on.

_Pendragon._

He didn't know why, but the young King had the smallest bit of hope left in him, and that, alone, kept his heart from sinking.

_Pendragon._

Lord Agravaine was standing at the door to Arthur's chambers, now, watching the King's reactions. If what the knight had said was true, there would be no doubt that Arthur would do something reckless. A smile crept upon his lips. This would need to be reported back to his lady as soon as his business was finished with.

"Your majesty," Agravaine interrupted. He wasn't expecting an answer, but he got one anyway.

"Sorry, uncle, I . . . I can't make the meeting today," Arthurs voice sounded broken; his eyes distant.

Agravaine studied his nephew. His mother would've been proud of him, no doubt. His father, however, would not be so pleased with what he just said.

"I understand your loss, sire, but-" there was no point in continuing. Arthur wouldn't be able to contribute very well to the meeting in this state, which made things even better. With a small sigh, he straightened himself and continued: "Very well, sire. I shall inform the court that you will not be attending today, and will ask them to put the meeting on hold."

_Pendragon._

As if the emotions that were flooding him weren't enough, Arthur was hearing his surname in his mind over and over again. _I think I know what my surname is, thank-you, conscience. _Why the hell was he repeating his surname? The news of Merlin's death wasn't enough to make him lose his mind, at least. Arthur walked back towards the window, staring aimlessly down at the people of his kingdom. _His_ kingdom. It still hadn't sunk in yet. Odds were, it wasn't going to sink in for a while.

"Thank-you, Uncle."

He watched Guinevere filling up a bowl of water with a smile on her face. She'd taken to helping Gaius while Merlin was away, and judging by the look on her face, she seemed to enjoy it. Watching her go about her daily duties momentarily eased the King's worries, and then a thought struck him. Did Gwen know about Merlin's death? It didn't look like it – she'd be in tears and shaking like mad if that were the case. And what of Gaius? Merlin was like a son to Gaius – it would cause him far much more pain than Arthur was feeling. _That's it_, he thought, _I'll have to check the situation before telling either of them. If there's a slight chance of him being alive, they need not know. _

_Pendragon._

Agravaine bowed his head and turned to leave. He'd have to address the court, say Arthur couldn't make it due to a matter of urgency, and then make his way to his lady. She had, more than likely, already planned for this to happen, he guessed. Morgana would do anything she needed to in order to get to her position on the throne of Camelot, even if it meant taking advantage of the situation her enemies were in. He hid a smirk behind a not-so-convincing-but-just-enough-to-no-be-suspected look of pain. Merlin meant the world to Arthur, although the King wouldn't admit it, and for that brief second, he was concerned for Arthur's well-being, but when it came to the kingdom, he'd much rather see Morgana on the throne than the child who killed his sister. It wasn't Arthur's fault, true, but if she didn't give birth to Arthur, she'd still be alive.

He closed the door gently behind him, only to have it opened about three seconds after. Sir Gwaine had left without saying a word, but nodded to Agravaine as an acknowledgement. It seemed as though he would be heading back to Ealdor to meet the other two knights he set out with. Arthur would probably set out later, once his mind was cleared.

Lord Agravaine smiled a crooked smile just as the knight had left. He really hoped Arthur's mind wouldn't be cleared. He wanted for the King to remain confused about his feelings, trapped in that sea of emotions.

It would make his job so much easier that way.

_Pendragon._

He cried. He hadn't done so in a while, not since his father's death, but the young Pendragon cried. Over his manservant. His _manservant_, of all people! He'd grown attached to the boy, so much so that he was the only person the King could trust. Losing Merlin was like losing half of his soul: half of his existence. He glanced down at his bed – Durward had laid his sword and shield on the bed covers before leaving, it seemed. _He's a good servant, once you get past the talking,_ and with that thought, Arthur managed a weak smile, automatically thinking of Merlin straight afterwards. His heart hurt too much to even think about anything else. He picked up his sword, belt, and shield. He'd probably need them – the belt especially. His pants had a habit of falling down on their own recently, and every time they did, Merlin was always there to pull them back up for him, or to tell him about it, or to make him look like a complete idiot in front of people. He made sure to do the belt up properly, just in case. If his pants fell down while keeping an eye on Merlin, he was quite certain his servant, although dead, would be laughing at him and saying, "Would you like some help there, Sire?" or "This is why you need me as your servant – you can't even do your belt up right!" Apparently, just thinking about the entertaining arguments and backchat was enough to stop Arthur's tears. He forced a smile on his face before leaving.

_Pendragon._


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. **Hi again! I won't be updating for a while because my internet's spazzing up, and I have college work! So, since the last chapter, I have figured out how to add line breaks.

Meaning longer chapters.

This one has 2000 more words!

I haven't had a proof reader for this, so any mistakes is entirely my fault (and my sisters - she was being lazy.)

I don't own Merlin, or it's characters. Thank-you!

* * *

><p>If only Gwen hadn't stopped him on the way out of the castle. The young King didn't want her to see him like this, or to explain why his eyes were as red as they were. He was just about to mount his horse when she stopped by, smiling so innocently at him that he was sure his heart stopped beating for a second or two.<p>

"Good morning, sire," she did that polite little half-curtsy she always did. He couldn't do anything other than give a small nod as acknowledgement. Now was _not_ the right time to be focusing on the girl he loved. Or what she was carrying. What _was_ she carrying? It didn't look anything like what she'd been carrying earlier. It was a fresh towel, crispy white in color, with a small brown blotch on it - Arthur guessed that was mud – wrapped neatly around – well, whatever it was containing he guessed.

"I'm guessing Gaius is keeping you busy." Gwen's smile momentarily made Arthur forget why he was leaving Camelot.

_Pendragon._

Or at least, it did, until his surname rang in his head for probably the zillionth time.

"Yes, but it's interesting, honestly," she shifted the weight of the towel-wrapped package so she only held it with one arm, and gently patted the horse Arthur was going to ride on. She hadn't noticed his eyes yet, _thank the gods. _Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again when she continued: "I think learning about medicines will come in handy, too – just in case Gaius falls ill or he needs to go somewhere... or if Merlin -" Oh, God, Merlin. He needed to get away from Gwen quickly, and in the nicest way possible, "–needs help getting some ingredients or if Merlin goes out again-" she blushed, and Arthur managed to smile weakly. She'd obviously realised she was talking random nonsense now. She clung to her package with both arms, now, hugging it to her chest as if it was something precious to her. "I-I'm sorry, sire. You were going somewhere?"

Another brief nod from the King. "I was heading to Ealdor to -" he coughed, trying to hide the pain in his voice, "– to check on Merlin."

"Oh, sir Gwaine just left for Ealdor. He looked upset about something, both when he arrived and when he left." She paused, taking this in. Arthur heard her gasp quietly. "Did… Did something happen in Ealdor?" and before Arthur could answer: "Did something happen to Merlin?"

This pained the King. His chest felt just about ready to explode. His eyes started stinging again, but something stopped him from crying.

_Pendragon, you must hurry._

Whatever was going on in his mind was replaced with a single thought: _hurry to Merlin._ But was it really Merlin he needed to go to? He had the feeling he needed to go somewhere just before witnessing things for himself. Where, though, he had no idea.

Arthur blinked his tears back, remembering Gwen was standing right in front of him, with worry and concern written over her face. Bless her soul. She always worried when people were injured or ill. It was one of the things he liked about her. He gave her a half-hearted smile to reassure her, but that only seemed to worry her more. He tore his gaze away and hoisted himself onto his horse. Arthur looked back down towards Guinevere. He probably wouldn't be seeing again her for a day or two.

"It's nothing you should be worrying about, Guinevere. It's just some business I have to attend to"

"Arthur, you're avoiding my question – oh, no, it – it is something to do with Merlin, isn't it? Arthur, let me come with you; if he's ill I can ask Gaius to let me bring some medicine." She paused and watched Arthur with concerned eyes. "Arthur. Please. I'm asking because I'm his _friend_; I've been with him before when he almost died. I would do anything to help out."

Arthur stared at her, contemplating taking her along. He looked towards the sky; it was still light, but there were signs of rain. He didn't want to trouble the girl. He turned back towards her, one eye closed since he ended up looking at the sun for a bit too long.

"I know you're concerned for his safety, Guinevere, but it's nothing to worry about," he sounded like me meant it. No, he _did_ mean it. Merlin was dead: fact. But he had the feeling, the slightest bit of hope, that it wouldn't stay that way. Gwen was right – Merlin had almost died countless times before. When they thought he was dead, he woke up all cheerful and idiotic, as if he'd just been sleeping or playing a joke on them. The servant was _so_ going to get his punishment later. Cleaning all of the kings clothes, polishing every piece of armour he had – Merlin would only deserve it after making everyone worry. After making _Arthur_ worry.

"I see I can't convince you. Very well, if you need anything, you should send word back to Lord Agravaine – I'm sure he'll help you in any way, sire, even if I cannot." And with that, she curtsied, and walked towards the castle gates, nodding to the guards and smiling. Her smile seemed slightly off. She was scared for Arthur. Scared for Merlin. _Scared for Gaius…_

He made sure he had everything then muttered under his breath:

"Wait for me, Merlin," and rode out through the gates. Destination: Ealdor.

* * *

><p>Agravaine had watched his nephew depart through the window of his room and had that crooked smile plastered on his face. This was going well. Going <em>great<em> in fact. He'd already informed the council of Arthur's whereabouts and reasons for not attending, so all he needed to do now was find a way of leaving without being caught by a certain physician. That would be easy.

Or at least, it would have been, if he didn't happen to run into said physician when turning a corner after leaving his chambers. The old man was on his errands, it seemed. He carried vials with him; obviously medicines and remedies for the sick or injured.

"Gaius," he acknowledged the well-respected citizen of the castle. Gaius had served under Uther for ages and known Arthur since he was born, and that was probably why he stayed at the castle. He was a dear friend of Uther's, of course, and had probably felt like he should stay working in his current position. Despite being a free man, he didn't leave. Agravaine frowned, but only slightly. Hardly recognisable. With a nod, he continued walking.

"My Lord," Gaius nodded in return, side-stepping so he was blocking Agravaine. He didn't know if he did it on purpose or not, but he was in a hurry, so he didn't bother questioning Gaius' movements.

"Where's Arthur? Gwen looks troubled, and I was hoping he could shed some light on the situation at hand." So Gaius hadn't heard about Merlin's death? Agravaine's day kept getting better by the second. First there would be a broken king, then the king's lady-friend would be weeping over the news of the servant, and when he had been told, the court physician would be overcome with grief and sorrow. Perfect. Morgana would be pleased, no doubt.

"He just left, I'm afraid. He set out with Sir Gwaine but a few moments ago," he just about managed to resist the temptation of adding dangerous laughter to his tone. Just. Though he really wanted to add it in. He didn't want to give himself away, though.

"I see. Well, if you see him, my Lord, would you be so kind as to ask him to stop by? I fear for Gwen's emotional state; she was shaking when she arrived."

"Of course, Gaius. Good day to you," another slight nod of the head, and he continued walking, cape flapping behind him, almost as if the wind were blowing it in a dramatic kind of way. Truth be told, he was actually walking a bit too quickly.

Gaius didn't get a chance to return his farewell, but slowly turned to see the cape flowing, and Agravaine turning the corner. He was walking too quickly. That couldn't be good. Gaius had heard there were to be a council meeting today. Arthur could've been there, for all he knew, and Lord Agravaine may have just been walking to the council chambers. Except he wasn't. He was going the wrong way, and he sped up his pace, from what Gaius could see from the window.

A shiver crept through Gaius like he'd just been possessed by a ghost. He was fairly certain no ghost had taken control of him, though. He just had a bad feeling.

Today wasn't going to be a good day.

At All.

* * *

><p><em>How the bloody hell did I end up here?<em> Was all Arthur could think when he reached… well, not exactly his "destination," since he was nowhere near Ealdor, but the clearing where he fought that rampaging dragon and saved the whole of Camelot from disaster and won. He dealt the beast a fatal blow that day, Merlin had said. A sudden rush of pride shook his body, and then he remembered why he was here.

Although he actually had no idea.

The wind whistled through the trees, making the clearing sound creepier than it already was. Which, he found, was strange, since the clearing really wasn't all that creepy, but right now he couldn't be sure. He felt like he had to be here, and he had no bloody idea why. That might've been why it seemed creepy. Still sitting on his horse, he turned to leave and return to his original quest, when a bloody huge gust of air almost knocked him off of his saddle. Now was _not_ the right time to be caught in the middle of a twister or a hurricane. He turned swiftly, only to see the dragon he had so badly injured swooping in from behind him. Arthur leapt from his steed's back and unsheathed his sword quickly, taking his fighting stance in front of the creature.

"I thought you were gone for good!" he raged, running towards the dragon at such speed, roaring as he prepared to deal a fatal blow for the second time.

The dragon looked at him and did nothing. It folded his wings back. Obviously it was amused at the boy's actions.

"Fear not, young Pendragon. I am not here to cause you or your kingdom any harm," it said, keeping his tone calm. Arthur had already attempted slicing the beast. Just his luck it wouldn't work like it had the first time. He staggered backwards, shocked to his very core. The beast could _speak!_ Arthur shook his head and glared at the dragon. Why did he recognise this voice?

"You speak."

The dragons laugh echoed throughout the clearing, rattling the trees, but his laugh seemed genuinely happy.

"Of course. I have been speaking to you all morning, Pendragon."

Alarm bells rang in Arthur's head, and he automatically took up a defensive position. He hadn't been reminding himself of his own surname, it seemed. Now that he thought about it, the voice _was _a bit different to his own. Okay, a _lot_ more different, but it's kind of hard to admit you're hearing voices in your head. Especially when it's not your own voice.

"So it was you in my head, then, was it? What do you want here? You must leave this place before I decide to kill you! You were lucky to live once, but I won't let it happen a second time!" The dragon didn't want to cause any harm? As if. He had no reason to trust magical beings.

The dragon laughed again, this time with more feeling in it.

"Pendragon, you are like Emrys in more ways than one." He chuckled. The leaves blew only slightly. "But what I say is the truth – I am here as an ally, not an enemy. In fact, I am here because you may need a bit of help."

Arthur had no idea who Emrys was, and frankly, right now, he didn't give a damn. Merlin was his top priority right now, but something kept him standing there, watching the dragon. He felt slightly at ease, but he was still concerned.

"I don't need any help. Now leave this place, dragon, before I -"

"Before you what, Pendragon? Before you attack me with a flimsy sword in hopes of injuring me? I don't mean to hurt your pride, sire, but I'm afraid to say that it was not _you_ who forced me to leave Camelot last time. It was young Emrys." His breathing slowed to a much more normal pace, now.

"There was no one by the name of "Emrys" with me that night. Just the knights and Merlin. I need to leave, and so do you. I don't want to see you here again, or I swear I will do everything in my power to bring you down." Arthur turned towards his horse, which was standing awkwardly still. Surely the horse should've run off by now.

"I bring you news of your servant," the message was short, but it made Arthur freeze in place. He didn't turn around; he didn't say a word; he didn't show any emotion.

The dragon continued: "Young Merlin most certainly is dead," Arthur shook. He didn't need to hear that. He needed to see it for himself. That was why he was going to Ealdor, anyway; "but his soul and his spirit are still very much alive."

That got a reaction. Arthur span to face the dragon with a puzzled and utterly confused expression. This made the beast smile.

"How do you know about Merlin," Arthur retorted, though it was more of a statement than a question. He sounded a little annoyed, practically hissing his reply.

"I know most things, Pendragon. We don't have any time for idle chit-chat. You must return both the boy's spirit and soul to his body, or Camelot will perish under the power of a powerful witch. With Merlin's life in the palm of her hands, quite literally, she has the power to overthrow Camelot and all kingdoms alike."

And now Arthur had absolutely no idea how to react. A mixture of things were running through his head; confusion, hurt, anger, confusion, trust, confusion. Mainly confusion. Why he was listening to a dragon, _a magical beast who had tried to burn the whole of Camelot to the ground,_ was beyond him, but he trusted the dragon's voice. The creature could've killed the king by now if it had wanted to, but yet there it stood, calm and collected, telling Arthur the things he wanted to hear. Arthur had no reason to advance on the dragon again. Everything the dragon said made so little sense to Arthur, and yet he understood it completely.

"Is it Morgana?" was the only thing he managed to say, however.

There was a slight pause. The only sound that could be heard was the slow, gentle, yet also strong, breathing of the beast that stood in front of the king.

"No, it is not. The witch is powerful, true, but she's not as dangerous as Morgana is. However, even though I say that, she is, indeed, quite powerful," came the reply that broke the peaceful quietness. Arthur grunted and rolled his eyes, slapping a palm to his forehead. _That doesn't make me feel any better._

The dragon chuckled. He seemed to be warming towards the king. The feeling was mutual, for now.

"If it's not Morgana, who is it then? One of the druids?"

"She is not a druid. She wanders freely, and actually despises druids. She was searching for Emrys, since she heard that he had arrived in Ealdor. She had heard great things of him, and wanted him to join her." And still, Arthur had no idea who this Emrys person was.

"You keep mentioning this… 'Emrys' person. Does he have anything to do with Merlin? Because I'm pretty sure Merlin hasn't got any friends called "Emrys." Actually, I'm pretty damn sure he has no friends in general." Arthur couldn't help himself with the last part, and he surprisingly made himself smile, as well as the dragon.

"In a sense, yes. They are, indeed, linked to each other, but if I were to tell you the whole truth, well, that would ruin Emrys' destiny."

"So, this Emrys person – should I be wary of him?"

"No."

Oh. Well. That was that sorted, at least. The dragon resumed his talking:

"You have met Emrys many times, although you had not known his true name. You will meet him again in the future, and you will be great allies. But you are distracting me from the reason I have brought you here." _Oh, yeah. I forgot about that bit._ Arthur took a step closer, his sword now hanging loosely in his hand by his side.

"Sorry. Please continue… uh…" he left his sentence hanging. Yet again, Arthur had forgotten to ask for a name.

"My name isn't of importance, Pendragon. Your servant's life, however, is. The witch we speak of is a beautiful woman, and many people, men and women alike, fall easily for her charms."

"That witch sounds familiar."

"It is not the witch Nimueh – her time has passed. No, it is another witch I speak to you of. You will know it is her when you see her right hand. Blessed with great beauty, she has a certain… mark. Her right hand, Pendragon, is w-" the dragon cocked his head at the king. A smirk crept across his face, intrigued.

Arthur was now staring at the top of the dragon's head, jaw hanging open. When the dragon had tilted its head, something white clinged onto it, almost as if it were falling off. And then he saw _wings._

"There's a dragon on your head."

The light figure on the darker one's head chirped, and flew down towards Arthur, landing on the tree stump to the side of him. It spread its wings again, examining the body of the blonde-headed male. Arthur just stared. Why hadn't he noticed it until just now? Likely answer was, it was sleeping until just that moment. The larger dragon cleared its throat to regain Arthur's attention.

"Young Aithusa, you should let me finish my sentences before interrupting." His laughter was full of warmth. The white dragon, Arthur guessed its name was Aithusa seeing as no one else was around, chirped happily again and sat down, gazing directly at Arthur.

"As I was saying," he cleared his throat again, not to get Arthur's attention, but because he'd laughed too much again; "The witch's right hand is withered and old. Only those with even the slightest bit of knowledge of her notice that flaw.

"Arthur, you must not fail this quest. Your servant's life, as well as the fate of your kingdom, rests on your shoulders. Aithusa will help you along the way in times of need, if you allow the dragon to do so. Though young, Aithusa is willing to travel alongside you on your journey."

The white dragon perked up and hopped off of the stump, plodding towards the horse. Judging by the way it turned its head in every direction, trying to get a good view of the mare, it hadn't seen a horse before. Arthur didn't quite know if he could trust this dragon. The dragon hadn't spoken to him or helped him in any way, but whenever it appeared to laugh, he was reminded of Merlin.

"He will come to you if you call. You must make sure that he does not appear in front of other people, though. The rules of your kingdom allow no magic of any kind, correct?" Arthur nodded, "and this is the only occasion where you will allow it?" He nodded again.

"Good decision. However, if people are to see Aithusa, a being of magic, they will think you are being unfair towards them, or they may feel as though using magic is now allowed. Is using magic still forbidden in your kingdom?"

"It killed my father; of course it's forbidden!"

The larger dragon shook his head. Arthur had no idea what that meant. Magic _had _killed his father – he witnessed it himself. If it hadn't have killed him, then Arthur would've allowed the practice of magic when he became king. Well, he was king now. After witnessing the darkness of magic, he decided there was no way it would be allowed. He planned to stick by that rule.

Today had to be an exception though.

"Then you must keep this one occasion a secret from the other people. Not all who practice magic use their powers for evil, Pendragon. Emrys has proved that time and time again."

They let silence fill the area again, this time the younger dragons breathing being the only thing Arthur heard. It strangely sounded like Merlin's breathing pattern for a moment.

"Thank-you," was all the king managed to say. With a brief nod, he turned and mounted his horse, stealing a quick glance down towards the smaller dragon. It chirped again. Maybe it couldn't talk just yet? Or maybe not all dragons could talk anyway? Last time he checked, there was only one dragon left, and he thought it would have died after he attacked it. But there it stood, now behind him. And if that wasn't bad enough, there was another dragon with him: Aithusa.

"Be careful, young Pendragon." The dragon's voice echoed after him, followed by the sound of trees rustling. The two of the dragons had probably left. Arthur's horse stormed through the forest, heading in the direction they had already intended to go to.

Once this was over, Arthur hoped never to see either of them again.


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N.** thank-you for the subscriptions + comments! This hasn't been proof read either, since I'm only on momentarily.

Again, I don't own Merlin! But it's inspired me to want to act instead of draw w I should say this now, because it might seem weird, but this takes place _before_ season 4 episode 9.

* * *

><p>As if being dead wasn't enough, Merlin had to endure the sickening sound of other dead souls screeching in his ear. He'd had to put up with the Dorocha before, but that was only temporarily. This could be permanent, for all he knew. He didn't have to defend himself, or try to, this time though. Since he himself was dead, the Dorocha didn't attack him, but he still couldn't use his magic. Whether that was because he was near the spirits or because he was separated from his body in the world of the living, though, he had no idea.<p>

The world of the dead wasn't what he imagined it to be. It was dark, yes, but he could still see clearly. The dark purple haze was heavy, but it didn't cause him any problems. Every now and again a white blur flew past him in the shape of a skull, and that made him shudder. It wasn't quiet, not like he thought it would be. Merlin thought that the souls rested in peace here, but let loose in the world of the living. That proved to be wrong. There was screaming and screeching from every direction, and it gave him a headache.

While looking for the exit, however, he found someone he didn't think he'd see ever again.

* * *

><p>It was quiet. All Agravaine could here when he arrived at Morgana's place of residence was the quiet muttering of a woman saying her incantations. Just how it should be. No one had followed him to the area; that he was certain of, but he had to check again in case he missed them. A quick glance and he was sure he hadn't been tailed. Just as he turned back towards the wooden door, he felt something digging into his hip. "My lady?" he said, raising his hands to show he had no weapons on him.<p>

"My lord," came the calm and collected voice that always greeted him whenever he arrived. With his hands still up in surrender, he slowly turned to look at the woman. She changed her hairstyle today, it seemed. Yesterday she just let it hang loosely and it looked a bit messy, though if anyone could pull off that look, it was definitely Morgana. Today she'd brushed it properly, and parts of her hair had been brought from the sides to the back of her head, though the rest of her hair still fell neatly behind her beautifully. Why was it all "evil" women managed to look beautiful? If looks could kill, Morgana's beauty would have destroyed the hearts of a whole kingdom already. The only reason Camelot hadn't fallen, he assumed, was because everyone there already knew how stunning she was and had grown used to it. When Morgause was alive, she probably would have had the same effect, but Camelot's residents hadn't really seen her properly before. Cenred had been attracted to her at some point, too. The two girls were alike in a lot of ways, it seemed. Agravaine quickly examined the woman, making sure she hadn't been injured or attacked before he arrived. Even if she had been she would have taken care of the attacker, though. A quick examination proved that she was in good health, and he smiled. Her dress, pure black with the sleeves netted so they looked like spider webs, was intact.

"I trust you bring me news of my dear brother's death?" Morgana asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice and a poisonous smile playing upon her lips. She turned towards her door again and opened it, not bothering to look back at Agravaine while doing so. That didn't bother him; she was probably busy. What did bother him was why she asked about Arthur so early on. Her sarcasm made it obvious she already knew he was in turmoil and despair, but not dead yet.

"He's upset, to say the least."

"Oh?" her smile grew wider. "I was hoping he'd be more than upset. Suicidal would have been better." She began to scan her shelves for something. Agravaine wanted to help, but couldn't bring himself to ask what she was looking for.

"He refuses to attend council, my lady. News of Merlin's death seems to have shattered him." That got a reaction. Shocked or delighted, he couldn't be sure. Maybe it was a mix of both.

"The serving boy is dead?"

"That's what Gwaine said. He was visiting the area."

"You know how it happened?"

Silence for a few seconds. He thought she was the one killed him.

"It… It wasn't you?" he questioned.

"Of course it wasn't me. I've been far too busy tending to my hair and my plans to overthrow Arthur. I have no time to go around killing mere serving boys, even if it is that troublesome Merlin."

There was another pause before she returned to… whatever she was doing. Something evil, perhaps. Muffled sounds of a completely different language drifted through the room. There wasn't much else to be said.

"This is your chance, Morgana!" Agravaine flipped his cape behind him and hurried to her side, watching her intensely.

"Well, yes, that is true," she sang, sweeping back across to the fire she had burning in the corner and dropping something in it. The fire burned a bright blue for a second before returning to its natural color. "But this is the work of someone I haven't met before, Agravaine. I wouldn't like to the credit for this strangers work. I'd rather prefer to do everything by myself. Then I would have earned the throne."

Agravaine couldn't respond. He was still staring into the fire. Whoever had killed Merlin hadn't needed any help. Not even from Morgana. Morgana had no idea who it was, either, but she didn't really seem too bothered. Instead, she seemed like a child that had received the best present in their whole life. She was almost amused by this.

"My, my. This will prove to be an interesting day."

* * *

><p>Ealdor was quiet. Yes, it was a small village and was quiet anyway, but this was more of a depressed silence. Funeral silence.<p>

That made sense, in a way. A boy who had lived here for many years had died suddenly, and people were mourning. Arthur didn't know how "popular" Merlin had been, or may not have been, before he arrived in Camelot, so he couldn't be too sure, but the village didn't seem too happy at all. He caught sight of a green cloak floating past a building, but when he went to see who it was, thee figure had already gone. He returned to the entrance, looking for his men's horses.

It didn't take him too long to find them. It looked like Hunith had let them stay outside her place. A third horse was tied to a fence. Gwaine's, no doubt. The door was already open, so he crept in, not wanting to disturb anyone.

The sight that greeted him almost killed him, though. Hunith sat on a stool next to a body that had been laid on a table, holding the persons hand. Three knights stood in the area, heads bowed. Percival sat down quickly and rested his head in his hands, Gwaine just stared at the poor woman grieving over her son, and Elyan was staring out the shabby window, keeping a look out in case the attacker decided to come back. As he expected but didn't want to believe, the body on the table was, in fact, his manservants. Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away.

Percival was the first to notice him. The knight raised his head and immediately stood up, acknowledging his king and showing him respect, but Arthur didn't pay any attention. His gaze was fixed on the sight of the mother and her son. Gwaine was the second to notice his presence and nodded, then rested a hand on Hunith's shoulder to comfort her. She sobbed quietly, smiling at her son. Elyan tensed and glanced in Arthur's direction to show he was aware, but quickly returned to the window. Arthur took a few more steps forward and came to a halt. He stood beside the weeping woman, and then crouched next to her. Neither of them spoke for a good minute or so.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

Arthur looked towards the woman. She looked heart broken, but she wore a smile on her face. She almost seemed… proud.

"Hunith, I… I'm sorry for your loss." Arthur was the only person who knew the truth. He didn't want to worry her any further. She shook her head, still smiling. Hunith seemed to have aged with worry. Arthur, not having been in this kind of situation before, had absolutely no idea why she was still smiling.

She twirled his hair in her fingers. "He died protecting us." There was another silence, less awkward than the previous one, before she stood up. Arthur wanted to laugh at her statement, in an affectionate way, because. Well. Merlin. _Protecting people. _It sounded strange to him. Gradually, she let go of her sons hand and bowed to Arthur. "You've probably had a long journey, Arthur. I'll get you something to drink." Gwaine took hold of her arm to steady her. She looked tired and just about ready to collapse. When she left the room, Arthur took her seat and took Merlin's hand in his, feeling for a pulse. No pulse. It shocked him despite him already knowing the facts. _He's still alive_ was the thought that stopped his tears. Elyan was the first too break the silence.

"Sire, would you like us to leave for a while? We could search the area to look for the—"

"It's fine. Do you know what happened?" He kept his eyes fixed on Merlin. There were no cuts, no bruises, no ripped clothes. No blood. Either Hunith had cleaned him up nicely, or something else had killed him. It hurt him to think that it was the latter, so he _desperately_ hoped it was the former. Percival nodded.

"Most of the villagers _saw_ what happened, sire."

"From what we've heard, someone entered the village looking for someone named Emrys, and they did everything they could to get information," Elyan took over, "and when she didn't get any information, she tried to kill people."

"With magic?" Arthur asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Hunith responded as she took over Arthur's original position of standing beside the stool and table, gazing lovingly at her son. Arthur stole a quick glance at her, and at that moment realised just how much pain she was in. She hid it well.

"Merlin was one of the few who intended on defending the village, but lost his life doing so. The other four weren't injured." Gwaine continued, casually eating an apple. That looked like his way of dealing with this. At least it distracted him. Arthur only had Hunith's expressions and Merlin's body to look at. That wasn't distracting at all. "But they know she used magic. Merlin was the only person affected by her magic, from what we know."

Hunith tensed beside him. That couldn't have been good. Arthur snapped his head up towards her, still keeping hold of Merlin's stone cold hand. He didn't want to let go. Not just yet.

"Hunith?" She didn't answer. _She knows something, but I don't want to make her feel any worse._

"Arthur."

Elyan's interruption and sudden movement caught his eye. Elyan started backing away from the window hastily. Percival shot a look at the window and did the same, with Gwaine already heading outside.

"I'll remain here with Merlin," Hunith stated. Arthur wasn't sure if she'd be safe or not, but he knew there was no way he could just stay with her when something was happening. "It's alright," she laughed weakly; "I can fend anyone off with some terrible cooking if I need to." It wasn't very reassuring, but Arthur realised that she was attempting to make him smile. Attempt successful.

"Thank-you. We won't be long, I promise, and we'll make sure no harm comes to you or Merlin," and with that, he left to investigate.

* * *

><p>"Mordred?"<p>

Agravaine had left Morgana to her spells and incantations so he could talk with the council in Camelot, and hadn't expected anyone to be in the room when she got back from collecting different ingredients. The hooded figure smiled back at her and lowered his hood.

_Morgana._ Mordred still preferred talking with his mind it seemed, and that made her smile. As "evil" as she was, she still had her good moments. Mordred was like a son to her, and she loved him with all her heart. She hugged him close, and he hugged back.

"What are you doing here?"

_I need to talk to you about Emrys._ She froze and quickly broke away from him, her hands now resting on his shoulders. She knelt down and smiled uncertainly at the boy.

"The old man?"

Mordred wasn't too sure what to say to that, it seemed. He chose his words carefully.

"Emrys needs to be alive for a while longer," he finally spoke aloud, staring at Morgana with those stunning eyes of his. His eyes were captivating.

Morgana sneered. Why would she want to keep that old man alive? She wanted him dead as soon as possible.

"Why should I keep him alive? He's nothing but trouble."

"I can't explain it. What I meant was that I need to talk about Emrys, but I also need to explain something about someone else."

"Let me guess: the manservant of Arthur Pendragon." Mordred nodded. Of course. Merlin was the main subject today, obviously. "What of him? He's dead now, thank the gods. Arthur's at a loss without him."

"You won't have your chance at the throne if you don't help rescue his spirit, Morgana. He's not truly dead yet." The boy's face showed no signs of emotion. Morgana was quite certain he wasn't lying. She twirled away from him and returned to her incantations, but Mordred continued to speak to her mentally – that way she couldn't ignore him.

_The woman who killed him is not as powerful as you or I, but with _his_-_ He purposely avoided using the name -_life in her hands, she may pose a threat to you._

That wasn't what Morgana had wanted to hear. At all. Of all the things she had heard today, that was, by far, the most unnerving thing she'd been told.


	5. notice as to lack of update

**As to why I haven't updated:**

**Unfortunately, I've been having problems. I've been meaning to update, I just haven't had the time. First off, I was in the middle of writing the next chapter when my computer broke. Second, I'm having problems at home right now and it's becoming more difficult. College is also taking up my time, and I'm going insane.**

**Literally, going insane. I'm hallucinating a lot and they're getting so bad that thee diabetic nurses have told me to see someone about it. I won't be getting any help for another two weeks.**

**On another note, **_**BBC Sherlock **_**is my new, very healthy (even though it's not) addiction.**

**I swear, though, I will try to update as soon as things settle.**

**Thanks for this!**

**Lianne**


End file.
